Manual:Infantry Manual:Equipment:Weapons:EMPW

EMPW
Caseless weapons are similar to Electromagnetic Projectile Weapons (EMPW) because both weapons fire a solid round. However, where they differ is that a caseless round still needs a propellant charge to be fired, but said charge is now part of the round being fired. This eliminates the need for a casing, usually made of brass, that would normally store the gun powder charge and be ejected from the weapon after being fired.

EMPW Pistols
R368 6mm Pistol

The R368 was designed in response to the post-Dominion War audit conducted by the SFMC on every as-pect of its equipment and capabilities. Finding that EMPWs still had a place in the arsenal, the SFMC decided to acquire an updated sidearm pistol.

The R368 uses a standard L-Style frame that is similar to pistols used in the early 20th & 21st century. The moving parts have been swapped out for electromagnetic accelerator & power cell. Due to the ammunition not needing a gunpowder charge, the magazine is capable of carrying 20 rounds.

EMPW Rifles
R114 7mm Rifle

The R114 is the latest EMPW based combat rifle issued to SFMC. The combat usage of the R114 is limited to use where phaser weapons weren’t practical. In training, it is the first weapon issued to new marines. This is done because phaser weapons tend to be extremely forgiving to the bad mechanics of the user, so basic marksmanship is conducted with projectile weapons. As such this weapon shares many of the same structur-al components as the R944; including the grip, trigger, stock, and rail system for attachments. This allows a marine to transition to the R944 with minimal familiarization.

R125 10mm Machine Gun

The R125 is the new standard EMPW general purpose machine gun for the SFMC. The weapon is, generally-speaking, a R250 chambered for the larger 10mm round; and therefore, it shares numerous physical and technical specifications with the lighter weapon.

This weapon’s 10mm ammunition significantly increases the range and stopping power when compared to the R250, so much so that it even can successfully engage lightly armored targets. Though the larger ammunition does come at the cost of a longer barrel and larger receiver assembly, which increases the overall size and weight of the weapon. These increases necessitate that an assistant gunner be assigned to the weapon to carry ammunition.

R179 Shotgun

A shotgun using projectile ammunition is still the best weapon to have in Close Quarter Battle (CQB). Unlike the shotguns of previous centuries, the R179’s use of electromagnetic rail accelerator technology nearly elimi-nates recoil, a longstanding issue with shotguns.

R217 10mm Rifle

The R217 is a robust & accurate sniper rifle. Designed during the twilight years of the EMPW being the cornerstone of SFMC weaponry, it was intended to compete with the newer battle worthy phaser weapons that were beginning to filter into the SFMC. To this day it still offers battlefield utility, even when compared to the latest generation of phaser sniper weapons.

R250 7mm Machine Gun

Until compression phasers became man-portable weapons, marines needing rapid fire were issued EMPW machine guns. Even with advances in phaser technology, the SFMC decided to retain and upgrade their EMPW’s for threats after the Dominion War. The R250 was designed concurrently with all other of the EMPW’s, so it has similar design elements. The primary difference is that it uses a receiver in front of the trig-ger assembly instead of the bullpup configuration. This is so that it can carry large amounts of ammunition.

The R250 replaces the R757 when an EMPW would be better than a phaser rifle. It is equipped with a col-lapsible buttstock, forward grip, bipod & a scope. The multiple design elements shared between the R250 and R944 means that marines can transition easily between the two weapons. Like all the new EMPW weapons the R250 has performed excellently in the field; their reliability and familiarity has made them extremely popu-lar with marines.

R251 7mm Rifle

The R251 is a marksman rifle that is designed to engage threat forces at intermediate ranges. Working with the R114 rifle, the designers retained the bullpup receiver, trigger assembly, stock, and the accessory rail system. The barrel was lengthened & to specifications with tighter tolerances to increase the accuracy. The action was limited to semi-automatic because the electromagnetic accelerator was unable to handle the stress of high rates of fire.

The R251 is equipped with a long-range holographic optical targeting system that includes: an atmospheric sensor probe, ballistic computer, and adaptive target sighting system. Together these systems allow an infan-tryman to accurately engage targets at ranges up to 1000 meters. The integral targeting system is capable of adjusting muzzle velocity to allow for near silent engagement of threats in nearly any environment.

A unique feature to the R251 is the dual-pack unit, which utilizes a phaser pistol as the weapon’s charge pack & trigger assembly. A repackaged R970 phaser pistol and is intended for self-defense and close-quarters battle.

R437 Assault Weapon

An assault weapon is a direct fire weapon designed to engage targets with ordnance. Designed to provide infantry units a more compact way to deliver ordnance than the larger grenade launchers that have been a staple of combat for centuries, it failed to deliver on the range and explosive potential of those ancient weap-on classes. However, it did find a niche mission in delivering high speed rounds on flat trajectories with great-er precision than grenade launchers at short ranges, with a more controlled explosive package. In essence it has become a compact, man-portable version of the recoilless rifle; and once issued to infantry units it imme-diately found a variety of missions and occasions for use.

Typically, it is found as a stand-alone weapon system issued to infantry squads as a secondary weapon for one of its marines. As such it is as compact as possible, about the same size as a personal defense weapon, but it is rather heavy not including the ammunition. There are prototypes of an under-slung weapon mounted version, but due to the utility of the standalone version in both ammunition capacity and ease of use, these prototypes are unlikely to be moved quickly into the acquisition phase.

R488 13mm Rifle

Affectionately dubbed the “Big Boy'' rifle by marines, this type of weapon can actually trace its lineage back to the M82A1 used by the militaries of Earth during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The R488 uses large caliber ammunition to inflict devastating damage to both armored and unarmored targets, in a system compact enough to be carried by a single marine.

Crew-Served Heavy Electromagnetic Projectile Weapons
R259 13mm Machine Gun

The R259 is the standard EMPW heavy machine gun for the SFMC. This weapon is the pinnacle of heavy machine gun technology, a class of weapon that has played a pivotal role in warfare since the introduction of rapid-fire projectile weapons.

Because the R259 was designed at the same time as the R977, they share many of the same components and therefore have a similar appearance. Unfortunately, two weapon systems also share an impressive size and weight; because of this, it requires a heavy tripod and at least a three-man crew.

R400 16mm Machine Cannon

This weapon was originally designed as the smallest SFMC weapon using ammunition with a “payload capacity”, i.e. capable of performing functions other than punching holes in the target. Unfortunately, the continued miniaturization of components and material sciences has removed the niche in which this system existed. Even with the intended mission now redundant, the need for an intermediate caliber of weapon wasn’t; the R400 eventually found a place in units and vehicles needing a higher rate of fire than provided by autocan-nons that were also willing to sacrifice hitting power – like multiple mount anti-aerospace weapon systems.

R437 Assault Weapon

An assault weapon is a direct fire weapon designed to engage targets with ordnance. Designed to provide infantry units a more compact way to deliver ordnance than the larger grenade launchers that have been a staple of combat for centuries. Unfortunately, it failed to deliver on the range and explosive potential of those weapons. It did find a use delivering high speed rounds on flat trajectories with greater precision than grenade launchers. In became a man-portable version of the recoilless rifle.

Typically, it is found as a stand-alone weapon issued to infantry squads as a secondary weapon for one of its marines. It is about the same size as a personal defense weapon, but it is rather heavy not including the am-munition. There are prototypes of an underslung weapon mounted version, but due to the utility of the standalone version in both ammunition capacity and ease of use, these prototypes are unlikely to be moved quickly into the acquisition phase.

EMPW Recoilless Rifles
R143 Recoilless Rifle

The recoilless rifle is an attempt to give small units of dismounted infantry access to large caliber ordnance capable of inflicting crippling damage on nearly any target. With the R143 that mission was accomplished but only by accepting a crew served weapon that was barely able to be packed around by that crew. Needing a heavy tripod and battery pack to even place the weapon into operation, the crew tends to operate more like an artillery battery than heavy weapon infantryman.

R294 Recoilless Rifle

The purpose of the R294 is to provide high caliber ordnance fire in dismounted infantry operations. The origi-nal targets were to be enemy armored vehicles, however as time went on these targets began to carry armor plating that superseded its penetrative capabilities.